


there's no comfort in the waiting room

by harleenquinzel



Category: Skins (UK)
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Hospitals, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-27 20:19:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harleenquinzel/pseuds/harleenquinzel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>cassie attempts to comfort jal, in her own odd way. a continuation of cassie and jal's hallway scene in 2x08.</p>
            </blockquote>





	there's no comfort in the waiting room

To Jal, it seemed as though time had stopped the moment that she had walked through the hospital’s doors.

She didn’t know if she had been sitting in the hallway with Cassie for minutes, hours, or days. She didn’t know what time it was, or how long it had been since Chris had been wheeled away from her. She had no idea what was happening to him right now. It was the most helpless she’d ever felt, and the one person who could comfort her was on the brink of death.

Her mascara had long ago been washed away by tears, leaving track marks in it’s wake. She looked as rough as she felt, and she knew it. She didn’t care. All she cared about was getting Chris back. Back from wherever the fuck he was. Putting her head in her hands, she tried to keep herself from crying. Again. Jal was so lost in her thoughts and attempts to distract herself that she didn’t hear Cassie speak, at first. 

“What was that, Cass?” 

“He knows, you know.”

“What?”

“About the baby. He knows.”

“What?”

Jal blinked. It took her a moment to realize what Cassie was saying. Baby…? Oh. Her baby. 

“He’s known for ages. When you’re vomiting in the morning, he sits outside the door and listens. He leaves you towels and clean clothes.”

“I thought that was you.”

“No. He just let you think that,” Cassie said with a wry smile.

“Why didn’t he say anything, then?”

“Because he knew you weren’t ready for him to know, Jal. He’s been waiting for you.”

“Is that why he asked me to move in with him, then?”

“No. He did that because he loves you.”

Jal fell silent, as Cassie continued to talk.

“You know, this could be you, six months from now, the three of us could be here, again. Except it would be you lying in a hospital bed, and Chris would be holding your hand, instead of the opposite.”

“I know. I know. I keep thinking about that. It should be me, not him.”

“So, you’ve made your mind up, then.”

“I… I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Time’s running out. Tick, tock, Jal, tick, tock.”

Jal sighed. She didn’t need another reminder that time was slipping away from her. Ever since she had found out she was pregnant, it seemed as though everyone she knew had been telling her that she was running out of time. Running out of time to have an abortion, running out of time to get ready to have a baby, running out of time to tell Chris, running running running running. It was all too overwhelming, and quite frankly, Jal was getting sick of running.

“Cass, did I ever tell you about the first time I met Chris?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“I think we were ten. Every day at recess, I would sit around and read. One day, he came up to me and asked me what I was reading. I told him to go away. Every day after that, he made a point of asking me what I was reading at recess. Every day, I told him to go away. One day, he asked me why I was such an angry boots all the time. I told him that maybe I just didn’t like him. He said that wasn’t possible. I called him a wanker. But after that day, I stopped telling him to go away. We would just sit there together at recess, every day. I don’t even know why.”

“He loved you, even then, Jal. You’re lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“Love conquers all, Jal. Haven’t you realized that?”

“What?”

“Chris is going to be fine. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s lived harder than everyone else. You’ve made his life a little bit easier, because you love him. You’ve both gone through harder things than this. As long as you have each other, you’ll be fine. Fine.”

“I hope you’re right, Cass. I hope you’re right.”

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from what sarah said by death cab for cutie.


End file.
